Powder container



May 27 1-924.

L. BIRNBAUM POWDER CONTAINER Original Filed Nov. 4. 1920 Patented May 27, 19 24.

LEO BIRNBAUM, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

POWDER CONTAINER.

Application filed November 4, 1920, Serial No. 421,645. Renewed Apri1'17, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO BIRNBAUM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Powder Containers, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

Tooth powder while still preferred by many to tooth paste is packaged in such manner as to make its use uneconomical, tedious and difficult of uniform application to the bristles in the desired quantity. Of course it is recognized that a moistened tooth brush cannot be applied directly to the powder within a container, since this would wet and clog a great portion of the remaining powder and probably result in the application of an excessive quantity to the brlstles. On the other hand, when the powder is shaken from a container in the usual manner, it is not only difficult to direct it on to the bristles without an appreciable wastage but the time involved is great and the quantity deposited is not apt to be uniform or approximate to'the requirements. The present invention has for its object to provide a container for tooth powder which shall be of such design as to overcome many objections to the use of tooth powder which really affect its popularity, and which shall permit a predetermined quantity of powder to be separated out from the bulk and presented after a simple and quick manipulation to the bristles of the brush for a single cleansing of the teeth. A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the character described which shall itself be simple of construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy of manipulation and of an attractive form having, aside from its utilitarian purpose, a real advertising value. In accordance with the invention there is provided in a container of suitable outline a sliding partition adjacent the open end, between which and the hinged top there can be entrapped a charge of powder adequate for one cleansing operation and presenting a superficial surface of about equal to that of the average sized tooth brush.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the improved container showing the top open and the sliding partition pushed in. v Figure 2 is a view in transverse section through the container shown in Figure 1 with the top closed. v

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View inlongitudinal section through the top and partition of the container taken on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2. It will be understood as the description proceeds that the container is not to be limited to the details of manufacture, which, in the preferred embodiment, tend to make for a very cheap construction, nor to the form or dimensions of the container itself. However, it will usually be desirable to make the container of generally rectangular outline so as to receive conveniently at the open end the bristles of a tooth brush which is of generally rectangular outline. The container a has hingedly secured thereto at its open end a top I), on one edge of which is carried a spring clasp b of such form as to maintain the top releasably in closed position. Adjacent to the open end of the container a is mounted a sliding plate 0 preferably passing through a slot a cut in the sidewall of the container on the side opposite the hinge b for. the top I). The end walls of the con tainer a in line with the slot a may be crimped, as at V which is supported slidably the plate 0. If desired, the plate 0 can be stamped out with ears 0, at its opposite edges, which ears are adapted to enter the grooves a and guide and support the plate in its movements.

a, to form guide grooves in The plate may also have stamped along its rear edge, preferably adjacent the ends thereof, ears 0 one of which may be turned upwardly and the other turned downwardly to abut against the rear wall of the container a when the plate is pushed fully in and abut against the front wall and limit the outward movement of the plate when the latter is pulled out. These ears 0 also rest against the end walls of the container to limit the lateral movements of the plate. On the outer edge of the plate 0 can be secured in any suitable manner a strip which constitutes in effect a double flange extending on opposite sides of the slot (1, so as torlose the latter completely when the plate is pushed in, and also a convenient finger gr p whereby the plate can be manipulated readily whether being drawn out or pushed in. It will be found convenient to have the flanged strip 0 so formed with relation to the clasp b of the top Z) that the clasp will overlie the strip when the slide is pushed in and the cover closed as illustrated in Figure 2. With the parts in this condition it is evident that accidental dislodgment of the plate 0 is positively prevented. I

The manner of using the container for presenting to the bristles of the brush a predetermined quantity of powder separated from the bulk will now be described. Ordinarily it will be understood that all of the powder as indicated in Figure 2 will lie wholly below the slide 0. The slide 0 will normally be pushed in and held against movement by the clasp 7) on the top 6, at least so long as the latter is closed. The user raises the top slightly so as to withdraw the-clasp b from the flanged stripe and then draws the slide 0 fully out. The top 6 will remain practically closed. lVhen the container is inverted quickly the powder will, of course, fall on to the inner face of the top I). lVith the powder in this position the slide 0 is pushed in and, acting as a cut-off, or what might be termed a slide- Valve, will entrap a predetermined quantity of powder in the space between itself and the top 6. VVhe-n the container is restored to its usual upright position the top Z) may be thrown back and the entrapped powder resting on the slide 0 will be exposed for the application of the moistened bristles of the brush thereto. Since the container is of generally rectangular outline and its cross-sectional area is about equal to that of a tooth brush, there will be no wastage of powder since all of the bristles will be applied to some part of the surface of the powder. Further, in the operation as described there is no opportunity for any of the powder to leave the box, so no skill or care will be required in the manipulations and the only powder removed from the box will be that which actually adheres tothe bristles. The. entire operation can be ellected in a minimum of time. The container itself is simple and inexpensive and constitutes a package which overcomes the objections to existing containers and should materially increase the use of tooth powder.

I claim as my invention:

An article of merchandise consisting of a portable container for tooth powder having a hinged top provided with a retaining clasp, the container being formed with a slot in its side wall adjacent to the open end and in the wall opposite to the hinged joint, the end walls of the container being crimped to form grooves in line with the slot, a partition plate extending through the slot and slidably mounted in said. grooves, ears carried with the plate to limit its move ments, and a flanged strip carried on the outer edge of the plate to close the slot when the plate is pushed in the clasp of the cover overlying said flanged strip when the cover is closed and the plate is pushed in, said container being invertible to permit its contents to be divided by said partition plate, substantially as described. v

This specification signed this 1st day of November A. D. 1920.

LEO BIRNBAUM. 

